WHAT’S NEW IN LOS ANGELES
With spring approaching, Los Angeles seems to be blooming from all different facets. The buzz about hotel
development will come full circle as seven highly anticipated properties open between April and May
2017. Los Angeles’s arts and culture scene continues to add exciting new museums – from the 2017 spring
opening of the Marciano Art Foundation to the recent announcement of George Lucas’ Museum of
Narrative Art, set to open in Downtown’s Exposition Park in 2021. For those seeking a little more flavor
for the taste buds this spring, the City of Angels has its culinary spotlight as the James Beard Foundation
Nominee Announcement press conference is taking place at a.o.c., restaurant of last year’s Chef of the
Year award-winner Suzanne Goin, on March 15.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Cambria El Segundo LAX (Beach Cities) – Choice Hotels International’s upscale Cambria badge will enter
the Los Angeles area with the opening of Cambria El Segundo LAX. Slated to open May 2017, the hotel
will be developed by Fillmore Hospitality and feature 152 rooms and a bistro called Social Circle. The
hotel will be located about two miles south of Los Angeles International Airport.
www.cambriahotelsandsuites.com
Dream Hollywood Hotel (Hollywood) – The West Coast’s first Dream Hotel will debut in the heart of
Hollywood on Selma and Cahuenga in April 2017. Designed by the award winning Rockwell Group, the
10-story boutique Dream Hollywood Hotel will feature 179 hyper-chic rooms, unique-to-market dining
experiences and an 11,000-square-foot rooftop lounge area. www.dreamhotels.com
The Everly (Hollywood) – Slated to open late April 2017, The Everly will feature 216 rooms, relaxed
communal spaces and effortlessly cool design. With its light-filled interiors, thoughtfully designed for
comfort and ease, The Everly is a true celebration of its Beachwood Canyon neighborhood and the
laidback California lifestyle. The hotel is steps away from the iconic intersection of Hollywood and Vine
with unbeatable panoramic views of the nearby Hollywood sign, Downtown Los Angeles skyline and the
Pacific Coast. www.everlyhotelhollywood.com
Freehand Hotel and Hostel (Downtown) – Sydell Group will introduce the Freehand Hotel and Hostel in
April 2017 after transforming the 1924 Commercial Exchange Building in Downtown L.A.’s Historic Core.
The 13-story building will boast 226 rooms, ranging from traditional accommodations to high-design
hostels (or “poshtels”) with up to eight beds. The hotel will also feature a lobby living room, retail,
restaurant and bar offerings in addition to a rooftop pool and lounge. www.thefreehand.com
Hotel Figueroa (Downtown) – Hotel Figueroa will reopen in late April 2017 following a renovation that
will transform its Moroccan décor to a new contemporary aesthetic with a touch of Spanish flare. Hotel
Figueroa will offer expanded bathrooms, 57 new suites, a second restaurant, a fourth bar and a garden
on the roof. New windows have been installed in rooms to help block out the noise from the Figueroa.
www.hotelfigueroa.com
Hotel Indigo Downtown Los Angeles (Downtown) – InterContinental Hotels Group will debut Hotel
Indigo Downtown Los Angeles, a hip 350-room hotel in April 2017. The 18-story Hotel Indigo will be the
flagship hotel at Metropolis, a $1 billion mixed-use development, which will feature three residential
towers, curated retail experience and a rooftop bar. The property will sit at the heart of Downtown L.A.,
linking the Financial District to L.A. LIVE. Design for the hotel will be inspired by its surrounding neighborhood and will focus on prominent narratives from Downtown’s past including Fiesta De Las
Flores, the glamorous pre-Hollywood nightlife scene and the underground speakeasies of the roaring
twenties. www.ihg.com/hotelindigo
InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown (Downtown) – InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown will be
part of the tallest U.S. building west of Chicago when the Wilshire Grand Center opens in June 2017.
The hotel will feature 889 rooms, 110 suites and one presidential suite, including a “sky lobby” on the
70th floor. There will be almost 100,000 sq. ft. of meetings, conventions and event space. Wilshire Grand
Center is a $1.1 billion project, which is being developed by Korean Air and Hanjin Group, and will also
include 400,000 square feet of offices and 45,000 square feet of retail space. When completed, Wilshire
Grand Center will be about 80 feet taller than the U.S. Bank Tower and the hotel will be the largest
InterContinental in the Americas. www.ihg.com
La Peer (West Hollywood) – Opening in May 2017, La Peer Hotel will feature 105 guest rooms and
suites, a rooftop event space, poolside fitness center and more than 8,000 square feet of indoor and
outdoor dining and lounge spaces. In addition, the property’s pool – while in the center of the bustling
city – is an escape in and of itself accented by lush landscaping and handcrafted lanterns hanging from
above that set the tone for an urban retreat.
www.lapeerhotel.com
Nobu Ryokan Malibu (Beach Cities) – Celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa is taking over the old Casa Malibu
and repurposing it as a ryokan, or traditional Japanese inn. The beachfront property, which is owned by
tech magnate Larry Ellison, will have 18 rooms when it opens in early 2017. www.nobuhotels.com
Nomad Hotel (Downtown) – Sydell Group, which opened Koreatown’s The LINE Hotel in 2014, will open
the Los Angeles outpost of New York’s NoMad Hotel in November 2017. The NoMad will be
redeveloped out of Downtown’s Giannini Place, which was built in 1923 as the headquarters for Bank
of Italy (which became Bank of America). The 12-story hotel will have about 250 rooms as well as a
rooftop pool. Once the property opens, L.A. will be the first city where three Sydell Group brands are
represented. www.sydellgroup.com/nomad/los-angeles
Proper Hotels (Downtown) – Proper Hotels, the new brand headed by former Viceroy Hotels chief Brad
Korzen, is slated to enter Los Angeles with a Downtown L.A. property located at the site of the former
Case Hotel. The 13-story property, which was built in 1924, will have 145 rooms and has plans to open
in 2018. www.properhotel.com/downtown-la
Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles (LAX) – The hotel completed its second phase of multi-million dollar
renovation with sophisticated upgrades to their 802 guestrooms and suites as well as the hotel lobby
area and Sheraton Club. In addition, Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel invested $3.5 million dollars
to enhance its 38 versatile meeting and function rooms totaling in 50,000 square-feet of distinctive
event space. www.sheratonlax.com
The James West Hollywood (West Hollywood) – The James West Hollywood will arrive to the Los
Angeles area in May 2017, where it will be situated in the heart of the iconic Sunset Strip at the
southeast corner of Sunset and La Cienega Boulevards. The James West Hollywood will be the first new
ground-up hotel in the area in approximately 30 years, and will be comprised of 286 rooms, two
restaurants, a rooftop bar, and 10,000 square feet of meeting space. The project will also have a 190-
unit residential building and about 40,000 square feet of retail space. www.jameshotels.com/west-
hollywood
Waldorf Astoria (Beverly Hills) – The Los Angeles area’s first hotel under Hilton Worldwide’s Waldorf
Astoria luxury brand will open on the triangular corner next to the Beverly Hilton. The newly-built
property, with Streamline Moderne design influences, will be 12 stories tall and will have 170 rooms.
Completion is planned for June 2017. www.waldorfastoriabeverlyhills.com
LAX TERMINAL UPDATES
Midfield Satellite Concourse – Designed as an extension of Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT),
the new $1.6-billion, 750,000-square-foot Midfield Satellite Concourse will feature 12 boarding gates,
L.A.-centric dining and shopping options, airline lounges and other guest services and amenities. The
design will complement the architecture of TBIT and feature a roof emulating an ocean wave prior to
breaking on the shore. It is also poised to become one of the “smartest” concourses with automated
biometric boarding gates and flight information display scanners allowing passengers to receive
personalized maps on their boarding passes. The MSC will be connected by a 1,000-foot-long
underground tunnel and is slated to open by 2020. www.laxishappening.com
Terminal 4 Connecter – This $115 million project launched in October 2016 and consists of the design
and construction of a multi-use, multi-level facility providing a secure connection between Tom Bradley
International Terminal (TBIT) to Terminal 4. Connecting the two terminals will allow passengers easier
access to their destination for those needing to reach a connecting flight, with the added convenience of
not having to recheck their baggage. www.laxishappening.com
New Live Musical Arts at LAX – Travelers will be treated to a variety of live music, dance and theatrical
performances and special events at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) throughout the year. The
program will bring in about 18 performances to celebrate the local culture and talent of Los Angeles and
the region.
ARTS & CULTURE
The 14th Factory (Downtown) – Opening March 2017, The 14th Factory, will transform an empty
industrial warehouse near Chinatown into a mythic universe through the creation of a monumental,
multisensory and cinematographic installation environment — one of the biggest independent art
projects in the world in 2017. The vision of The 14th Factory is to create a new, independent paradigm
for socially-engaged art, a kind of guerilla action where art occupies and re-energizes underutilized or
even derelict urban spaces and gifts them back to the in the form of a transformative experience.
www.the14thfactory.com
Academy Museum (Mid-City) – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is building the world’s
leading movie museum in the heart of Los Angeles. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo
Piano, the six story Academy Museum will contain state-of-the-art galleries, exhibition spaces, movie
theaters, educational areas, and special event spaces. The museum is planned to open in 2018.
www.oscars.org/museum
Ahmanson Theatre (Downtown) – Think of Into the Woods as the ultimate fairytale mashup. Though
many people know it from the 2014 film featuring Anna Kendrick, James Corden, Emily Blunt and Meryl
Streep, it is also a stage musical. Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s version of the show dances into
the Ahmanson Theatre on April 4 to May 14. The story puts a sometimes dark, but deliciously catchy and
rhyming spin on Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood as well as Jack and the Beanstalk, among other fairytales, as princesses, princes, a baker and his wife must deal with a witch’s curse.
www.centertheatregroup.org
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles (Downtown) – FIDM Museum’s annual
exhibition has become a tradition for movie lovers. This year, the museum celebrates the exhibition’s
25th year of showcasing excellence in film costume design. Visitors can explore the ‘Academy Award
Nominated Costume Designs’ from movies of 2016. The exhibit is open from February 7 to April 2017;
free to the public. www.fidmmuseum.org
Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (Downtown) – The Institute of Contemporary Art, Los
Angeles, or formerly known as the Santa Monica Museum of Art, will be getting a new home in
Downtown’s Arts District in fall 2017. The new site will be in a 12,700-square-foot former garment
manufacturing facility. It will include 7,000 square feet of exhibition space; almost 2,000 square feet
larger than the organization’s previous home at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. This is the only
kunsthalle, non-collecting museum, in Southern California. The museum presents exhibitions and
programs that reveal the vibrant, untold stories and pivotal moments in the history of contemporary art
and culture. www.theicala.org
Japanese American National Museum (Downtown) – Pioneering actor and passionate civil rights activist
George Takei has donated his personal collection, which represents the many facets of his life and
career, to the Japanese American National Museum. The collection will serve as the foundation of a new
exhibition that will open at the museum from March 12 to August 20, titled New Frontiers: The Many
Worlds of George Takei. www.janm.org
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Mid-City) – Two upcoming exhibits at LACMA include,
Los Angeles to New York: The Dwan Gallery 1959–1971 opening March 19 to September 10 and presents
the storied history of the Dwan Gallery, one of the most important galleries of the postwar period in the
U.S., and the dealer and patron Virginia Dwan. Founded by Dwan in a storefront in Westwood in 1959,
the Dwan Gallery was a leading avant-garde space during the 1960s, presenting groundbreaking
exhibitions by Franz Kline, Philip Guston, Ad Reinhardt and more. Another exciting exhibit is Playing with
Fire: Paintings by Carlos Almaraz, which is the first major retrospective of one of the most influential Los
Angeles artists of the 1970s and 1980s. Arguably the first of the many Chicano artists whose cultural,
and political motivations catalyzed the Chicano art movement in the 1970s, Almaraz began his career
with political works for the farm workers’ causa and co-founded the important artist collective Los Four.
This exhibit will be on display from August 6 to December 3. www.lacma.org
LA Opera (Downtown) – Blackmail, political intrigue, romance and revenge — Tosca has it all. A favorite
of every opera company around the world, it lands on the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for
seven performances on April 22 to May 13. L.A. Opera Music Director James Conlon will conduct
Giacomo Puccini’s three-act work. The opera follows the titular singer and her lover, who must contend
with the cruel and lustful police chief Scarpia. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the show is both an epic
political thriller and a tragic romance. Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky stars as Tosca. www.laopera.org
Los Angeles Philharmonic (Downtown) – Iceland, Iceland Baby: The Los Angeles Philharmonic has been
ever-daring under Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, and the tradition continues with the Reykjavik
Festival. Running April 1-17, the series at the Walt Disney Concert Hall will feature concerts with
composers such as Daníel Bjarnason and Hauker Tómasson. The Icelandic rock group Sigur Rós, which in
the past performed at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, is also in the mix. The closing show will feature a
performance by Jóhann Jóhannson, the composer of films including Sicario and Arrival. www.laphil.com
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (Downtown) – Los Angeles will welcome an exciting new museum
from George Lucas’ personal collection of art, which consists of about 10,000 paintings and illustrations
including works by Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth and R. Crumb, along with Hollywood memorabilia from films
such as “Star Wars” and “The Ten Commandments.” The planned 275,000-square-foot, $1-billion
museum will be located in Downtown’s Exposition Park and targeted to open by 2021.
www.lucasmuseum.org
The Main Museum (Downtown) – The Main Museum of Los Angeles Art is a new institution focused on
L.A. art and artists. With a residency program at its center rather than a collection, The Main situates
artists prominently and supports their continued engagement within the city’s evolving landscape. Once
complete, The Main will unfold across three historic buildings in Downtown Los Angeles — the Farmers
& Merchants Bank, the Hellman Building, and the Bankhouse Garage. It will include a variety of
exhibition galleries, studio spaces for an artists’ residency program, a rooftop sculpture garden,
amphitheater, a café and a restaurant. Opened in February 2017. www.themainmuseum.org
Marciano Art Foundation (Mid-City) – Set to open in May 25, the contemporary art museum from Guess
co-founders Paul and Maurice Marciano will show painting, sculpture and photography as well as
installation, performance and multimedia works in a renovated former Scottish Rite Masonic Temple on
Wilshire Boulevard. Many of the pieces in the more than 1,500 item archive are from artists such as,
Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning and Cindy Sherman, however younger artists will make appearances as
well. www.marcianoartfoundation.org
Music Center (Downtown) – Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire is an American treasure; it
won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948 and was immortalized on screen in a 1951 film starring Vivien
Leigh and Marlon Brando. Now Scotland’s national ballet company is reinterpreting the work. The
Scottish Ballet pirouettes into the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for three performances on May 19-21, with
choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. The dance of lust and pride will have a jazz-accented score
from Peter Salem. www.musiccenter.org
Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA (Citywide) – Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA is a far-reaching and ambitious
exploration of Latin American and Latino art in dialogue with Los Angeles and will happen September
2017 to January 2018. Led by the Getty, Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA is the latest collaborative effort
from arts institutions across Southern California. Through a series of thematically linked exhibitions,
Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA will present a wide variety of important works of art, much of them new to
Southern California audiences. While the majority of exhibitions will have an emphasis on modern and
contemporary art, there also will be crucial exhibitions about the ancient world and the pre-modern era.
With topics such as luxury objects in the pre-Columbian Americas, 20th-century Afro-Brazilian art,
alternative spaces in Mexico City, and boundary-crossing practices of Latino artists, exhibitions will
range from monographic studies of individual artists to broad surveys that cut across numerous
countries. www.pacificstandardtime.org
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum (Ventura County) – Titanic at the Reagan Library
is a fascinating look at Titanic, combining real artifacts with the real stories of the people onboard the ill-
fated ship. This new exhibit, opening May 27 to January 17, 2018 tells the story of the unsinkable ship in
a way no museum has done before. Artifacts from passengers, dispersed over time, will be reunited in
this exhibit for the first time in over 100 years. www.reaganfoundation.org
Skirball Cultural Center (Westside) – Paul Simon: Words & Music will open April 27 to September 10,
making its only West Coast stop at the Skirball. This traveling exhibition curated by the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame and Museum, illustrates how the legendary artist’s music has reflected social and cultural
ideals. Developed based on exclusive interviews with the artist, the show will walk visitors through Paul
Simon’s life and music and illuminate his creative process. On view will be instruments, records, sheet
music, handwritten lyrics, photography, costumes, and stage maquettes, as well as listening stations and
performance footage spanning Simon’s six-decade career. Exclusively for the Los Angeles presentation,
Paul Simon: Words & Music will include additional artifacts from Simon’s private archive and a newly
created music lab developed by the Skirball in cooperation with Roland Corporation. www.skirball.org
Wende Museum & Archives of the Cold War (Culver City) – The Wende Museum of the Cold War
preserves art, culture, and history from Soviet Bloc countries during the Cold War to inspire a broad
understanding of the period and explore its enduring legacy. The museum promotes rigorous
scholarship and stimulates general interest through its experimental exhibitions, as well as through
lectures, symposia, and publications. In early 2017, The Wende Museum will move to its new home at
the former Culver City Armory, tripling its exhibition galleries and providing more effective access to its
massive collection of artwork, artifacts, archives, films, and personal histories. The Museum’s
installation of the longest stretch of the original Berlin Wall outside of Germany is on view in front of
5900 Wilshire Boulevard. www.wendemuseum.org
ATTRACTIONS
Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach) – Discover the dazzling diversity of frogs and their amphibian
relatives at the Aquarium of the Pacific during the new exhibition, FROGS: Dazzling and Disappearing,
opening May 26 to March 31, 2018. More than two-dozen animals in thematic displays, educational
graphics, and interactive exhibits will highlight the beauty of and threats to these remarkable animals. The
exhibit will trace the history of amphibians, their life cycles, the different environments they live in from
deserts to rainforests, the diversity of species, and their surprisingly uncertain future.
www.aquariumofpacific.org
Bikes and Hikes LA (Citywide) – The self-guided bike tour is a new offering from Bikes and Hikes LA,
allowing visitors to explore the neighborhoods of Hollywood, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood on their
own time, at their own pace. This tour takes visitors where tour buses can’t. The tour features a GPS
enabled device attached to the bike that acts as a virtual tour guide pointing out highlights along a pre-
set itinerary. Tours are typically 3 hours long, covering 10 miles. www.bikesandhikesla.com
Exotics Car Racing (Fontana) – Guests will enjoy trackside views from the newly designed 10,000 sq. foot
facility overlooking the exclusive 1.2-mile custom designed race course, and covered paddock area of
spectacular supercars. The new facility will feature an air-conditioned space with sporty high-tech interior
design. Flexible moving walls have been incorporated to configure a Corporate and VIP room from a
private intimate gathering to a large scale corporate event. Men’s and women’s locker rooms will
accommodate Exotics Car Racing Series guests to suit up for an awesome driving experience complete
with a professional driving suit. www.exoticsracing.com
Hollywood Bowl (Hollywood) – The Hollywood Bowl’s 2017 season begins on June 17 featuring the Moody
Blues. Other big acts performing this year include Tony Bennett joining the Los Angeles Philharmonic, a
complete live-to-picture performance of the score to “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and a conducting
performance by screen composer John Williams. Other acts include Kool & the Gang, Morris Day & The Time, Solange, Blondie and the Village People. The annual Fourth of July celebration will feature Grammy
winners Pentatonix. www.hollywoodbowl.com
OUE Skyspace LA (Downtown) – California’s tallest open-air observation deck and the premiere
destination for panoramic, 360-degree views of Los Angeles opened on June 25, 2016. At its height, Los
Angeles residents and visitors are offered a transformative view of its culture, community and people.
Visitors to Skyspace LA are guided through a multi-dimensional, interactive experience, featuring
unobstructed views, dynamic design and surprise thrills. One of the thrills includes a fully enclosed glass
slide that is affixed to the side of the building, 1,000 feet above the street from the 70th to 69th floor.
www.skyspace-la.com
Warner Bros. Studio Tour (Hollywood) – New in December 2016 is a reimagined exhibit offering an up-
close look at authentic props and costumes from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and the
beloved Harry Potter films. Highlights of the Fantastic Beasts experience include costumes worn by actors
in the movie and Newt’s case of creatures. Tour guests will be able to see the detailed costumes of Lord
Voldemort, from a young Tom Riddle to his rise as the Dark Lord. Guests will also have the opportunity to
be sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses by the magical Sorting Hat. This interactive experience
will take place in front of a life like image of the Great Hall, which will include costumes of iconic Hogwarts
professors. www.wbstudiotour.com
Universal CityWalk (Hollywood) – As part of if its bold revitalization, CityWalk now elevates the movie-
going experience to new heights as the 18-screen and IMAX AMC Theatre updates with the most
technologically advanced sight and sound achievements. A complete remodel of the split level structure
includes the installation of deluxe recliner seats in 18 theatres — the equivalent of those found in
Hollywood screening rooms — making every seat, the best seat in the house.
www.universalstudioshollywood.com
ANNIVERSARIES
Grand Central Market (Downtown) – Downtown Los Angeles’s thriving foodie hub is celebrating its
centennial anniversary. The Market opened in 1917 and has been in continuous operation since. A
hundred years ago, Broadway was the principal commercial and entertainment corridor of downtown Los
Angeles. Bunker Hill, to the west, was covered with stately Victorian mansions, and the area’s stylish
residents rode down on the (now closed) Angels Flight to shop for groceries in the Market’s open-air
arcade. The Market has always reflected the changing population of downtown – in the 1920s the ninety-
plus vendors included multiple green grocers, fishmongers, Jewish delis, and butchers, as well as stalls for
dry goods, baked goods, flowers, coffee, cheese, notions—and even one vendor who sold nothing but
eggs. DTLA has been evolving ever since, and the Market has continued to evolve with it. Today’s Market
has over 40 food stalls and contains vendors who represent L.A.’s diverse community.
www.grandcentralmarket.com
Griffith Park (Los Feliz) – Griffith Park, one of Los Angeles’s most iconic parks turned 120-years-old on
December 16, 2016. This legendary park is over 4,210 acres and home to some of L.A.’s treasures such as
the Greek Theatre, the Hollywood Sign, the Griffith Observatory and much more. The park is named for
its former owner, Colonel Griffith J. Griffith who bequeathed the land as a Christmas gift to the people of
Los Angeles to be used as parkland. Today’s Griffith Park offers numerous family attractions, an
assortment of educational and cultural institutions, and miles of hiking and horseback riding trails.
www.laparks.org/griffithpark
San Antonio Winery (Downtown) – Recently nominated for American Winery of the Year by Wine
Enthusiast, San Antonio Winery is the largest and longest-producing winery in Los Angeles with 100 years
of winemaking under its belt, making it an essential component of the city’s cultural and historical
landscape. Still at its original location on Lamar Street in Lincoln Heights, the winery is the last vestige of
the rich winemaking tradition of greater L.A. Four generations of family contribute to the winery’s success.
Its vineyards are located in Paso Robles, Monterey, and Napa Valley, and it is the most awarded winery in
Southern California. www.sanantoniowinery.com
RESTAURANTS
Baohaus (Downtown) – In the shuttered Pok Pok Phat Thai space, Eddie Huang brought his NYC
Taiwanese-Chinese concept, Baohaus, to Far East Plaza in Downtown L.A.’s Chinatown. The menu is simple
with only four types of bao (pork, chicken, fish, and tofu), plus taro root fries. www.baohausnyc.com
Da Kikokiko (Beach Cities) – From Top Chef alum, Brooke Williamson and husband Nick Roberts’ is their
newest spot in the South Bay, joining their other popular neighborhood spots (Hudson House, Playa
Provisions and The Tripel). Situated in the new Runway Playa Vista mixed-use complex, “Da Kikokiko”
means “the spot” in Hawaiian. This spot is a love-letter to the street food they love in the islands: poke,
shaved ice and musubi. www.dakikokiko.com
Destroyer (Culver City) – Jordan Kahn, from Red Medicine, which closed in 2014 opened up a neo-coffee
shop featuring vegetable-centric plates. Destroyer was created as a collective resolution to bring about
social change in the community. This restaurant will use the ‘neighborhood café’ as a platform to bring
various artists and creatives together. www.destroyer.la
Eggslut (Venice) – As its second location in Los Angeles, Eggslut has opened in Venice near the Venice
Beach Boardwalk sign. From Chef Alvin Cailan, Eggslut has been expanding from the original Grand Central
Market location to Las Vegas, Venice and soon to open, Glendale locations. www.eggslut.com
Erven (Santa Monica) – Le Cordon Bleu-trained Chef Nick Erven opened this minimalist Santa Monica
restaurant after leaving Fundamental LA to create a plant-based new American menu. The restaurant
offers lunch service as a sit down casual chef driven experience, coupled with a grab & go component.
www.ervenrestaurant.com
Georgie and the Garden Bar (Beverly Hills) – Renowned NYC chef and restauranteur Geoffrey Zakarian is
welcoming guests to his new restaurant at Montage Beverly Hills, which replaced Scarpetta. The
restaurant has been redesigned to look like a private garden featuring sage greens, caramel velvets and
rich blues with hanging planters and fig trees on the inside and spills into the redone patio. The menu
features contemporary American fare utilizing ultra-seasonal ingredients from local forages and farms.
www.georgierestaurant.com
Here’s Looking at You (Koreatown) – This is Koreatown’s newest dinner option from co-owners Lien Ta
and Chef Jonathan Whitener. The fusion-focused menu is based around “SoCal food,” and features a blend
of flavors from Vietnamese, Mexican and modern American. The restaurant is 1,000 square feet and can
hold roughly 50 seats. www.hereslookingatyoula.com
Kismet (Los Feliz) – A collaboration between Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson (of Madcapra fame, and
formerly New York City’s Glasserie) along with the Jon & Vinny team comes Kismet. The menu offers a
vegetable-heavy Middle Eastern menu with more than a little Israeli influence and plates are meant to be
eaten family style. www.kismetlosangeles.com
Laduree (Westside) – Laduree continues its American dream with the opening of its first West Coast
location at The Grove. Located adjacent to The Park with an outdoor dining patio, this two-story boutique
and restaurant creates a chic and whimsical Parisian paradise in the heart of Los Angeles. Laduree at The
Grove offers its famed macarons and freshly made pastries as well as a full breakfast, lunch and dinner
menu. www.laduree.com
Lost at Sea (Pasadena) – A seafood restaurant in Old Pasadena started by two locals: Tim Carey from
Arcadia and Santos Uy from La Canada. The restaurant features cuisine heavily influenced by Southern
California ingredients and cultures, with a keen focus on French technique. The wines are small
production, and naturally produced by artisans from all over the globe. They also carry a selection of local
craft beers. www.lostatseapas.com
Manuela (Downtown) – Located at the heart of the restored Globe Mills complex occupied by Hauser
Wirth & Schimmel, Manuela provides diners with a convivial, distinct experience where art, community,
sustainability and food converge. Channeling his Texas upbringing, Chef Whitsell uses artisanal techniques
of in-house smoking, fermenting, preserving and pickling with homegrown ingredients. Offering seasonal
dishes, the menu features a broad range of vegetables, grains, seafood and meats, sourced from local
farms and Manuela’s onsite herb garden. www.manuela-la.com
Maré (Silver Lake) – Taking over the former Barabella space, this is the third iteration of the Maré name
by the Midcourse Hospitality Group (Greenspan, Jim Hustead, James Moon, and Nick Erven). The former
Barbarella space has been completely halved — with the other side now a colorful cocktail lounge known
as The Friend — and reformatted to fit a much moodier aesthetic. Menus consist of simple seafood dishes
like a whole branzino, and a choice of mix-and-match pasta options to share with friends.
www.marerestaurants.com
Mr. Holmes Bakehouse (Highland Park) – This sparkling and uber-hip Highland Park bakery, a San
Francisco transplant, is gleaming in all-white tiles and pink neon ‘I Got Baked in Los Angeles’ signs, with a
glass counter full of sweet and savory treats. Most popular are the cruffins, a croissant-muffin hybrid that
draws morning lines (and tends to sell out early), plus flavored custard-filled donuts, caramel-drenched
monkey bread and more. www.mrholmesbakehouse.com
P.Y.T. (Downtown) – Taking a cue from Los Angeles’s most pervasive new trend, Josef Centeno opened
P.Y.T., a vegetable restaurant, in half of Ledlow’s current space. The menu features leafy greens and lots
of vegetables as a base for most of the menu. Breads, fruit dairy and meat are not off the menu.
www.pytlosangeles.com
Shibumi (Downtown) – An intimate 40 seat kappo-style restaurant and bar located in the heart of
Downtown L.A. Guests are invited to enjoy a unique and rare selection of beverages paired with seasonal
offerings. Rare delicacies mingle with the familiar, allowing guests entry into the world of Shibumi, where
traditional technique is applied to local ingredients and LA flavors. www.shibumidtla.com
Terra Cotta (Koreatown) – Terra Cotta is the newest restaurant venture from 6th Avenue restaurant
group. The menu draws inspiration on a global scale (incorporating not only Korean elements, but also
Japanese, Latin American, and other regional influences)—a direction representative of the melting pot
that is Los Angeles. www.terracottala.com
The Huntington Library (Pasadena) – Border Grill’s Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken with Blue
Window’s Kajsa Alger partners with The Huntington with support from Bon Appetit Management Co. to
offer culinary options from both Border Grill and Blue Window, in addition to new menus, cooking classes,
series of dinners with specials guests, and catering at the Huntington Library. www.huntington.org
Tinfoil Liquor & Grocery (Highland Park) – Jeremy Fall (of Genesis and Nighthawk) takes over the glorious
neon-signed “Coldest Beer in Town” store in Highland Park with a new concept called Tinfoil Liquor &
Grocery. On top of curated spirits, local craft beers, and wines, Fall is partnering with Alvin Cailan’s Unit
120 Group to put together a hidden sandwich shop/deli counter toward the back of the shop. Inside
Highland Park’s newest secret deli and market, customers can find sandwiches with house-made breads
by pastry chef Isa Fabro as well as a wide range of spirits plus “Coldest in Town” domestic and craft beers.
www.tinfoillg.com
SHOPPING
AT MATEO (Arts District) – Opening March, this $32.5 million joint venture, will transform five large
warehouses occupying a huge block at the corner of Mateo and Palmetto into an open-air 130,000-
square-foot retail hub consisting of top-tier restaurants, boutiques and local services along with
approximately 50,000-square-feet of modern, creative office space and 540 covered and well-lit parking
spaces. AT MATEO will be activated from breakfast to night, seven days a week. www.atmateo.com
Beverly Center (Westside) – The Beverly Center has unveiled a massive $500 million renovation plan,
aiming to draw more shoppers with increased food offerings and improved open-air designs. The new
design will feature a continuous ribbon of skylights to bring more natural light to the eight-story mall’s
interior. In addition to great retail, an estimated ten dining destinations will be developed, including two
by Michelin starred, James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Mina. Renovation to be completed by
holiday 2018. www.beverlycenter.com
Oceanwide Plaza (Downtown) – Oceanwide Plaza will introduce globally inspired sophistication to
Downtown Los Angeles, featuring the new Park Hyatt Los Angeles, a collection of residential offerings and
an open-air retail destination. The retail and dining collection at Oceanwide Plaza will offer a selection of
shops and restaurants, a 50-foot open-air galleria and a third-floor deck overlooking the Staples Center
and L.A. Live. Completion of Oceanwide Plaza is expected by the fourth quarter of 2018.
www.oceanwideplaza.com
ROW DTLA (Arts District) – First known as the LA Terminal Market, ROW DTLA was built from 1917 to 1923
along the Southern Pacific Railroad and for years was a major hub for the distribution of produce across
the region. The space is undergoing historically sensitive renovations. When completed, ROW DTLA will
include over 100 of the most progressive shops and restaurants from across the city and world. ROW DTLA
will be a new center uniting food, fashion, creativity and innovation. Now open at ROW DTLA is, the space
is Smorgasburg LA, open every Sunday and newly opened, GOSSAMER a vintage lifestyle brand created
from the love of timeless pieces and beautiful items, inspired and named after the gauze or silk fabric of
the very finest texture. Another new opening is official launch of the Spring Collective, which brings
together a unique mix of fitness classes, a female co-working space, designers, artists, and retailers to the
industrial storefronts at ROW DTLA through the end of April. www.rowdtla.com
The Bloc Downtown (Downtown) – The Bloc opened on June 16, 2016 after a $180 million transformation
from a 1970s-style mall to an open-air urban destination. The Bloc now offers Angelenos a curated
experience of design-oriented, artisanal retailers and restaurateurs. The anchor property includes a
flagship Macy’s store, Free Market and Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse. A state of the art, creative-
leaning office building and the glamorously renovated 496-room Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown also
anchors the mixed-use project, making The Bloc a truly vibrant 24-hour hub where Angelenos can work,
sleep, shop and eat at any time of the day or night. Opening soon is Free Market, a marketplace and hub
for cultural exchange brought by DTLA creative agencies known for retail concepts Apolis and Alchemy
Works and Otto Design Group. Also soon-to-open is Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, where the hottest indie,
foreign and repertory films are served up with craft beer, gourmet chow and a famously strict movie
etiquette policy. www.theblocdowntown.com
Westfield Century City Mall (Century City) – The modernization and beautification of Westfield Century
City will create the ultimate L.A. destination for fashion, flavor and relaxation. This idyllic open-air retreat
will showcase the world’s finest luxury boutiques and favorite on-trend brands, alongside a new flagship
Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s. Guests will indulge in over 55 eateries serving seasonal and local
delights, a new outdoor dining district, and the West Coast’s first Eataly featuring authentic Italian flavors
and a not-to-be-missed rooftop lounge scene. In between shopping and dining, guests will take in the
showcase of local arts and entertainment, or simply relax and unwind under the Southern California sky.
Shoppers visiting from near and far will be invited to visit the dedicated Tourist Lounge to meet our
concierge, store luggage and receive special savings for traveling shoppers. The new Westfield Century
City will open in phases beginning in 2017, but shoppers can continue to enjoy over 40 shops and
restaurants open now, including Bloomingdale’s, Gucci, Tiffany & Co, Rolex and Meizhou Dongpo.
www.westfield.com/centurycity
ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION / PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY
Great Streets Initiative (Mar Vista) – A vibrant section of Venice Boulevard is getting a series of pedestrian
safety improvements thanks to Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Great Streets initiative — bringing new life to a Mar
Vista neighborhood where Angelenos can gather to shop, dine, and enjoy a popular Sunday farmers’
market. Once complete, the improvements will include four new signalized pedestrian crossings there will
also be pedestrian head starts at nine Venice Boulevard intersections. www.LAGreatStreets.org
Metro Bike Share (Downtown) – Downtown Los Angeles’s first bike share program started on July 7, 2016
with nearly 1,000 bicycles available for short-term rentals. The rentals will be available at 65 kiosks located
near Downtown L.A. transit stops and other densely populated areas. Each rental station has a
touchscreen kiosk, a map of the bike share system and Metro Bikes. There is a $40 annual fee (waived for
qualifying low-income riders) and a monthly pass for $20. www.bikeshare.metro.net
Metro Expo Line and Gold Line Foothill Extension (West L.A.) –To be completed by 2023, the Purple
Line Extension will extend westward for about nine miles with seven new stations. Destinations along
the new Purple Line Extension will include Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills, Century City and Westwood.
www.metro.net
Pedestrian Passageway (Downtown) – In a first for L.A., there is a new pedestrian passageway directly
connecting the 7th Street/Metro Center Station with The Bloc in Downtown L.A. The project is a
successful public-private partnership that will also help meet future ridership demand at the expanding
7th Street/Metro Center Station, one of the busiest stations on the Metro Rail system.
DISCOVER LOS ANGELES PROGRAMS
Summer dineL.A. (Citywide) – For its ninth year, Summer dineL.A. will return from July 14 – 28, 2017.
dineL.A. is a 15-day dining event that takes place at over 300 restaurants throughout L.A. county, offering
specially priced lunch and dinner menus. www.dineLA.com
carfreeL.A. (Citywide) – Discover Los Angeles has made it easier than ever to experience L.A. without a
car. CarfreeL.A. features a series of self-guided “car free” vacation itineraries that offer a new way to
experience the hidden gems of L.A.’s diverse neighborhoods via foot, bike and Metro.
www.DiscoverLosAngeles.com/CarFreeLA